Keys to Revelation - Chapter 19

Taken from the HOLY BIBLE: NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION (C) 1978 by the New York
International Bible Society, used by permission of Zondervan Bible Publishers.

BIBLE TEXT COMMENTARY

REV 19:1 After this I heard what [After this] - Beginning in REV 17:1
sounded like the roar of a great we saw the introduction of the city
multitude in heaven shouting: of Rome, the capitol city of the
"Hallelujah! Salvation and glory world, and the head of the wicked
and power belong to our God, world system. In chapter 18, the Fall
of Babylon (Rome) is revealed and in
REV 18:20 we, the Saints of God, are
commanded to rejoice over her final
fate, because of the way she had
treated God's children in the many
generations previous.

[great multitude] - The redeemed of
God in heaven. Throughout the history
of man, it has only been a remnant
that has accepted God's message and
believed. One just needs to look at
our generation to realize that very
few of any society really believe and
are saved. It has been estimated
that since the days of Adam and Eve
that approximately 41 billion people
have lived on this planet. If only
a remnant equal to 1% was saved, that
would make heaven's population of
saints equal to about 400,000,000. Of
course, God is not finished calling
all of His servants yet so the number
will continue to grow.

[Hallelujah!] - There are only four
instances in the New Testament of the
term Hallelujah, all of which occur
in this chapter (vs 1, 3, 4, 6). The
OT word Hallelujah comes from two
Hebrew words (halal and Jah), and
means "Praise Yahweh!"

[belong to our God] - Salvation is of
God and not of man. All men turned
away from God and earned their place
in the torments of the Lake of Fire.
But, our God is a Gracious God, and
chose "some" to be saved (not many).
He also prescribed the exact manner
of salvation, it would not be of
works, but rather, of faith. A faith
that manifests itself in the three-
fold act of Believing in Christ,
Repenting of our sins, and Submitting
to the Lordship of Our Savior Jesus
Christ, the God of the Universe!

REV 19:2 for true and just are his [true and just] - There can be no
judgments. He has condemned the doubt that God judged rightly in the
great prostitute who corrupted the case of Babylon (Rome). In fact, He
earth by her adulteries. He has demonstrated great patience and
avenged on her the blood of his mercy waiting all these many years
servants." while she committed her acts of
adulteries.

[avenged on her the blood] - God had
declared in DEU 32:43 that He would
ultimately avenge the blood of the
saints, "Rejoice, O nations, with His
people, for He will avenge the blood
of His servants; He will take ven-
geance on His enemies and make
atonement for His land and people."

REV 19:3 And again they shouted: [smoke..goes up...for ever] - This is
"Hallelujah! The smoke from her not a reference to the city itself,
goes up for ever and ever." but will be fulfilled by the eternal
judgment of the people who sinned in
and through the evil world system of
Babylon. It will be literal smoke
rising from the burning of the bodies
of these unbelievers in the endless
torment of the Lake of Fire.

REV 19:4 The twenty-four elders [twenty-four elders] - See comments
and the four living creatures fell on REV 4:4-11
down and worshiped God, who was
seated on the throne. And they
cried: "Amen, Hallelujah!"

REV 19:5 Then a voice came from [a voice] - Not the voice of the
the throne, saying: "Praise our Father, Son, or Holy Spirit, but
God, all you his servants, you who rather it is the voice of an angel
fear him, both small and great!" who commands us to praise "our" God.

[Praise] - Present tense and is a
command to "keep on praising" the
Lord.

[small and great] - Believers from
every socioeconomic level, and from
various stages of spiritual maturity.

REV 19:6 Then I heard what sounded
like a great multitude, like the
roar of rushing waters and like
loud peals of thunder, shouting:
"Hallelujah! For our Lord God
Almighty reigns.

REV 19:7 Let us rejoice and be [wedding of the Lamb] - For a proper
glad and give him glory! For the perspective of this event we need to
wedding of the Lamb has come, and remember the customs of the Bible
his bride has made herself ready. Times in regard to marriage. First,
there was the Betrothal, which was
a public declaration by the two
families that the two participants
were now betrothed, that is, legally
husband and wife.

Following the Betrothal came a period
of time that was used by the groom to
prepare a home for the bride (usually
a room in his father's house). This
could be a year or so. The bride also
used this time to prepare herself for
the wedding feast. When the time was
ready, the bridegroom would travel to
the bride's home and take her back
with him to the new home (room).

Shortly after the couple and the
families arrived at the new home the
wedding feast began and lasted for a
week or longer.

The Bride here is the Church (each
Christian from the Church Age) and
the Groom is Jesus. We were betrothed
on the day of our salvation as the
announcement was made on earth and in
heaven that we and Jesus were legally
married (committed) to each other.

Again, the Bride is the Church and
the guests are all the Old Testament
saints and the Martyred Tribulation
saints.

Jesus has been "preparing our rooms
in His Father's house" (JOH 14:2-3)
and came back for us in the Rapture
of the Church. The wedding feast was
delayed until the Lord had taken back
the earth from the control of the
evil one.

REV 19:8 Fine linen, bright and [given her] - Most likely at the Bema
clean, was given her to wear." Seat (Judgment Seat of Christ) the
(Fine linen stands for the brilliant garments of linen were
righteous acts of the saints.) given to each of the saints. When a
person is saved they receive the
righteousness of Christ, however,
their transformed life will be
evidenced by the actual righteous
acts they do by the Spirit (JAM
2:14-18).

REV 19:9 Then the angel said to [those...invited] - The Church is the
me, "Write: 'Blessed are those who Bride and the invited wedding guests
are invited to the wedding supper are the Old Testament saints (see
of the Lamb!'" And he added, "These MAT 8:11) and the martyred saints of
are the true words of God." the Tribulation.

REV 19:10 At this I fell at his [worship him] - John is overcome by
feet to worship him. But he said to the tremendous picture of the coming
me, "Do not do it! I am a fellow blessedness of the Kingdom of God,
servant with you and with your and falls down and worships an angel.
brothers who hold to the testimony This only shows the humanness of the
of Jesus. Worship God! For the Apostle John. The angel quickly
testimony of Jesus is the spirit of informs John that angels are also
prophecy." servants of God (HEB 1:4-14).

[spirit of prophecy] - The prophecy
that John was watching unfold was the
testimony of Jesus, not of angels,
therefore, God is the one who is to
be worshiped for such a revelation.

REV 19:11 I saw heaven standing [heaven standing open] - When a door
open and there before me was a is opened a person can see in or out.
white horse, whose rider is called John is now on the earth and can see
Faithful and True. With justice he into the third heaven, the residence
judges and makes war. of the Saints, the Angels and the
Throne Room of God. Remember, that
the First Heaven is the atmosphere,
and the Second Heaven is Outer Space
(see 2CO 12:2). John can see into
heaven as clearly as we can see a
cloud in the sky. The opening to
heaven is so wide that a whole army
can pass through.

[white horse] - A real horse, just
like the literal donkey that Jesus
rode into Jerusalem on (MAT 21). It
was prophesied hundreds of years
earlier that the Messiah would ride
into the city on a donkey (ZEC 9:9),
and here we listen to the spirit of
prophecy tell us that when Christ,
the Magnificent King, returns He will
be riding a white horse--Believe it!

[Faithful and True] - Our sweet Lord
and Savior is truly faithful. He is
faithful when we are faithless (2TI
2:13). He is faithful and true in
all of His promises to return to the
earth and establish His kingdom. He
will fulfill all of His promises made
to His people.

[judges and makes war] - The right-
eous vengeance that is about to be
enacted upon the Antichrist and his

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